Best "FreeRace" Foil Kite?

[cwood]

What is your recommendation for a great "FreeRace" foil kite?

- Still loving my Sonics, I would not recommend them for anybody coming from tubes and not having experience with high AR foil kites in the water out of the perfect relaunch position.

It sounds like the Sonic2 is a good Freerace option, except for the discouraging caveat.

So, how does one get experience with high AR foil kites without actually flying them???

You can't. You just have to spend time with them. The sweetest in my opinion is the 11m Sonic2. Don't be intimidated. Pick one up, go fly it. Drop it intentionally, relaunch etc.

I giggled like a little girl the first time I sent it.

[Adventure Logs]

I also love my Sonic 2 11m but the fabric of the Soul can't be beat. Can't wait for the Sonic 3/Speed 6 in a couple months(whatever its going to be called).

[Horst Sergio]

But, how does one get experience with high AR foil kites without actually flying them???

Hi Yodarocket31,
what I wanted to say is, it is not the question of getting this experience or not, but of how to get this experience.
To give an extrem example, I as wave beginner would not start at Nazaré to learn.
And similar as foil kite beginner it is not sure that a race kite (as what the sonic² originally was build and used for) is the right first small step to learn behaviour of those kites AND HAVE FUN.

I know there are many competent persons all around, buying and riding full race sonic VMG, R1 and what not. But what I see on the water is pretty often, guys swiming back with a water filled foil kite in winds where you can still easily start them... and I always wonder: Why did they buy a to high AR kite, they are obviously not cabable to handle, when they just could buy one of the more easy foil kites first and learn with fun step by step, is it worth just to have the highest AR kite on the spot or jump 1 or 2 m higher?

With a well fitting foil kite and some experience you never have to swimm back with a foil kite, no matter how much tangles as long there are 6-7 knts. But especially with the high AR foil kites you don't have one piece and one or three different manouvers how to start it, like a tube. When it is twisteted two times around itself, you may have 60 single cells that ask for immediate correct reaction to start them with one of 10 differen't technics cell by cell. If you are a fast learner and you think you can do this right from the start, go for a sonic or a R1 and have fun.

Otherwise a cheap lecca-lecca or a Soul could be the more easier entrance and they will teach you foil kite behaviours during relaunch and both wont have significant less performance then the old chrono race kite had.

[andrzejwodejszo]

I Think Ozone Chrono V2 will be great ! its fast, and easy to relaunch..alse have explosive lift, and hangtime. Ultralight Version is Superb !

[masterred]

I have Chrono v3 UL 15 mq. is fantastic kite and super for hydrofoil is perfect foil Freerace for me .
Ciao

[TomW]

I bought a hyperlink 9 UL and use it the most. Flew it 30 hours. Flys very much like an lei. Just better. Wind range 5-9ms.
But wanted low wind 4-6ms kite. So bought a used Sonic 2 13m. Due to flying in light wind and kite, it is totally different animal. It took 3-4 sessions to be able to easily start and turn the kite. Ive never dropped it in the water the 10 sessions I've used it .
It is definitely faster and better upwind than hyperlink. For AtoB drag racing, better than hyperlink. But so slow turning...

If you have stable wind conditions, clean launch then you can get away with more challenging kite from the beginning.

[juanpasala]

I also love my Sonic 2 11m but the fabric of the Soul can't be beat. Can't wait for the Sonic 3/Speed 6 in a couple months(whatever its going to be called).

Hi man, I ve a small Soul quiver, 8m and 12m, which i use both for foiling and twintip, I am thinking on getting a 15m, but just for foiling - freerace, would you go Soul or Sonic for that matter?

[Adventure Logs]

I also love my Sonic 2 11m but the fabric of the Soul can't be beat. Can't wait for the Sonic 3/Speed 6 in a couple months(whatever its going to be called).

Hi man, I ve a small Soul quiver, 8m and 12m, which i use both for foiling and twintip, I am thinking on getting a 15m, but just for foiling - freerace, would you go Soul or Sonic for that matter?

If it's just for foiling, I would say go Sonic and if you can wait a couple months, wait till the next gen comes out with will be the same fabric as the Soul. There's gonna be a lot of overlap though with your 12m. My current quiver that I travel with is Soul 8m and 15m and it basically covers everything.

=Jason-

[juanpasala]

I also love my Sonic 2 11m but the fabric of the Soul can't be beat. Can't wait for the Sonic 3/Speed 6 in a couple months(whatever its going to be called).

Hi man, I ve a small Soul quiver, 8m and 12m, which i use both for foiling and twintip, I am thinking on getting a 15m, but just for foiling - freerace, would you go Soul or Sonic for that matter?

If it's just for foiling, I would say go Sonic and if you can wait a couple months, wait till the next gen comes out with will be the same fabric as the Soul. There's gonna be a lot of overlap though with your 12m. My current quiver that I travel with is Soul 8m and 15m and it basically covers everything.

=Jason-

Thank you for the advise, I will wait a couple more months to check if the sonic 3 comes out.
I get the overlap, but i dont know if going straingh to an 18 would be pushing it to far...
If I could go a bit back in time I would have gotten the 15 and a 10, but that s that

[davesails7]

It sounds like the Sonic2 is a good Freerace option, except for the discouraging caveat about needing experience to fly them.

But, how does one get experience with high AR foil kites without actually flying them???

I think sonic2 is fine as a first foil kite. I've had several people fly mine who never flew a foil before, and they had no issues. It's a really well behaved kite, much easier than the first generation of race foil kites.